1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an entertainment system having at least one manual controller connected to an entertainment apparatus which executes various programs, for entering control requests from the user into the entertainment apparatus, an entertainment apparatus which executes various programs, a recording medium storing a program and data that are used by the entertainment system, and a program itself.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some entertainment systems including entertainment apparatus such as video game machines display video game images based on video game data stored in a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or the like on the display screen of a television receiver while allowing the user or game player to play the video game with commands entered via a manual controller.
In those entertainment systems, the entertainment apparatus and the manual controller are usually connected to each other by a serial interface. When a clock signal is supplied from the entertainment apparatus to the manual controller, the manual controller sends key switch information based on the user""s control entries in synchronism with the clock signal.
Recently developed manual controllers incorporate a vibration generating means for applying vibrations to the user based on a request from an external apparatus such as an entertainment apparatus, for example. While a video game is in progress, the vibration generating means applies various different kinds of vibrations to the user in response to user""s different control entries.
Almost all video games performed using the above entertainment system are accompanied by background music (BGM) that is outputted at all times while the video game is being played. Even when the user makes some action in the video game with its control input, the background music is continuously performed irrespective of the action, distracting the user""s attention from the video game itself.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an entertainment system, an entertainment apparatus, a recording medium, and a program which are capable of outputting a sound in response to a predetermined control input from the user to add musical interest to a video game or the like.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an entertainment system, an entertainment apparatus, a recording medium, and a program which can produce various sounds in response to control inputs from the user thereby to complete a piece of music, thereby allowing the user to enjoy the fun of completing a piece of music.
According to the present invention, there is provided an entertainment system comprising an entertainment apparatus for executing various programs, at least one manual controller for entering control requests from the user into the entertainment apparatus, a display unit for displaying images outputted from the entertainment apparatus, and sound presentation trial processing means for displaying an object relatively moving on at least one track displayed on the display unit, allowing the user to try to acquire the object with a control input, and outputting a sound assigned to the track on which the object is relatively moving when the acquisition of the object with the control input is detected.
According to the present invention, there is also provided an entertainment apparatus for connection to a manual controller for outputting a control request from the user and a display unit for displaying images, comprising sound presentation trial processing means for displaying an object relatively moving on at least one track displayed on the display unit, allowing the user to try to acquire the object with a control input, and outputting a sound assigned to the track on which the object is relatively moving when the acquisition of the object with the control input is detected.
According to the present invention, there is further provided a recording medium storing a program and data for use in an entertainment system having an entertainment apparatus for executing various programs, at least one manual controller for entering manual control requests from the user into the entertainment apparatus, and a display unit for displaying images outputted from the entertainment apparatus, the program stored in the recording medium comprising the steps of displaying an object relatively moving on at least one track displayed on the display unit, allowing the user to try to acquire the object with a control input, and outputting a sound assigned to the track on which the object is relatively moving when the acquisition of the object with the control input is detected.
According to the present invention, there is further provided a program readable and executable by a computer, for use in an entertainment system having an entertainment apparatus for executing various programs, at least one manual controller for entering manual control requests from the user into the entertainment apparatus, and a display unit for displaying images outputted from the entertainment apparatus, the program comprising the steps of displaying an object relatively moving on at least one track displayed on the display unit, allowing the user to try to acquire the object with a control input, and outputting a sound assigned to the track on which the object is relatively moving when the acquisition of the object with the control input is detected.
The display unit displays an object relatively moving on at least one track. The user tries to acquire the object by entering a control input. When the object is acquired, a sound assigned to the track on which the object has been relatively moving is outputted.
If there are a plurality of tracks, then when objects relatively moving on the tracks are successively acquired, sounds assigned to the tracks are successively outputted, and a piece of music is completed based on a combination of the sounds.
Therefore, the entertainment system according to the present invention can output a sound in response to a control input entered by the user, adding musical interest to a video game or the like. By producing various sounds in response to control inputs entered by the user, one piece of music can be completed, thereby allowing the user to enjoy the fun of completing a piece of music.
The sound presentation trial processing means or corresponding steps may comprise object displaying means for, or the step of, displaying the object relatively moving on at least one track, object acquisition determining means for, or the step of, determining whether the object has been acquired with a control input or not, and sound outputting means for, or the step of, outputting a sound assigned to the track on which the object is relatively moving when the object acquisition determining means determines that the object has been acquired.
The sound presentation trial processing means or corresponding steps may comprise acquiring object displaying means for, or the step of, displaying an acquiring object to acquire the relatively moving object, and the object acquisition determining means or corresponding step may comprise means for, or the step of, determining that the object is acquired if the distance between the acquiring object and the relatively moving object falls in a predetermined range when a predetermined control input is entered from the manual controller.
If a plurality of tracks are displayed on the display unit, then the object acquisition determining means or corresponding step may comprise means for, or the step of, determining that the object is acquired if a track on which the acquiring object and a track on which the relatively moving object are the same as each other when the predetermined control input is entered from the manual controller, and also if the distance between the acquiring object and the relatively moving object falls in the predetermined range.
There may be further included indicator displaying means for, or the step of, displaying an indicator image indicative of one of the tracks on which the object is coming.
If a sound pattern assigned to the track is disposed as a bit string indicative of whether the sound is to be outputted or not outputted, on the track, there may be further included light spot displaying means for, or the step of, displaying a bit string related to the acquired object and indicative of an output state, of the sound pattern disposed on the track on which the acquired object is positioned, in relative motion as an array of light spots, and the sound outputting means or corresponding step may comprise means for, or the step of, outputting a sound assigned to a light spot which has reached the acquiring object, of the sound pattern assigned to the track.